Indicator marking system for dictating machines



July l5, 1958 G. T STANTON ETAL 2,843,386

INDICATOR MARKING SYSTEM Foa DICIAIING MACHINES Filed May 5, 1953 Power 0b 42W Supply 'MT '27 L" 44 )\///Z I ATTORNE United States Patent INDICATOR MARKING SYSTEM FOR DICTATING MACHINES George Taylor Stanton and Ralph Hudson Sherman, lJr., Fairfield, Conn., assignors to Dictaphone Corporation, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of New York Application May 5, 1953, Serial No. 353,206

8 Claims. (Cl. 274-17) This invention relates to marking apparatus for use with dictating machines. The invention provides automatic marking apparatus to be mounted adjacent a dictating machine record for applying marks to a medium upon which various instruction indications may be made to guide the person who later transcribes the material from the record.

The invention is of particular use in central station dictation systems in which several dictation stations are connected to a common, remotely-controllable dictating machine, for example as described in the copending application of Taylor and Jones, Serial No. 279,744, filed April l, 1952, now Patent No. 2,803,707, issued August 20, 1957, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. Since the machine is at a distance from the dictators, the marking apparatus at the machine must be automatic and remotely-controllable. l

It is an object of this invention to provide remotely controllable automatic marking apparatus for use with dictating machines.

An aspect of the present invention is the automatic production of a number of distinctive marks, used to indicate corrections, instructions, end-of-letter locations, and the like.

In the embodiment of the present invention herein described, a pad of indicator slips is held in a tray on the front of a dictating machine. During a marking operation, a rotary-drive mechanism automatically swings the bottom edge of the tray upwardly into the path of a marking mechanism hanging down from the recording-head carriage. This causes the marker to strike the top slip on the pad, producing an indication thereon as the pad swings up against it. To produce different distinctive marks the pad is swung upwardly to different heights.

Among the advantages of the present invention is the provision of a simple, practical, and positively operating marking mechanism in which a number of distinctive marks may be automatically synchronized with the position of the head.

These and other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention will be in part apparent from and in part pointed out in the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a simplified schematic diagram showing circuits for controlling an automatic marking mechanism in accordance with the present invention, and showing also the position of the marking device on the front of a dictating machine; y

Figure 2 is an elevational view of a portion of the front of the dictating machine of Figure 1 showing part of the marking mechanism;

Figure 3 is an end view of a portion of the marking mechanism as seen from the left of Figure 2;

` Figure 4 is a sectional view Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure2. y

taken along line 4 4 of 1 2,843,386 Patented July 15, 1958 ice In the system shown in Figure l, a dictating machine, generally indicated at 10, is provided with an automatic marking mechanism, generally indicated at 11, so that during dictation the user, either by remote control or by local control as explained hereinafter, can make suitable marks upon the pad 12 positioned in predetermined juxtaposition to a sound record 14 on the dictating machine 10. This top slip later is torn off and accompanies the sound record 14 when it is removed to be transcribed, the marks thereon indicating that an error has been made, instructions recorded, an .end-of-letter position reached, or the like, to guide the person who transcribes the dictation on the record.

In order to control the marking mechanism 11, a control circuit, generally indicated at 16, is provided. As explained in detail hereinafter, this circuit is adaptable either for remote control or for local operation, as the case may be, depending upon whether the dictating machine 10 is used in a central dictation system or used as an individual unit.

The construction of the automatic marking mechanism 11 is shown in the remaining figures of the drawings. The pad 12 of indicator slips is held in a tray support 18 which is pivotally mounted between a pivot 20, at the upper right-hand corner of the tray as seen in Figure 2, and on the end of apivot shaft 22 at the upper left-hand corner. The tray 18 swings about these pivots so that the bottom moves upwardly in an arc toward the dotted line position shown in Figure 5, causing the top slip to strike against and be marked by a marking member 24 depending from the carriage 26, which moves the recording or reproducing head (not shown) across the surface of the sound record 14. This marking member 24 is arranged to pivot on the carriage 26 and is spring-biased downwardly toward engagement with the top indicator slip.

In order to move the pad of indicator slips 12 into engagement with the marking member 24, i. e. `to swing the tray 18, a rotary drive mechanism, generally indicated at 28, is provided. This mechanism includes a rotary solenoid, generally indicated at 30, and a control relay, generally indicated at 32, which acts to control the extent of the arcuate motion of the tray 18, to produce various instruction marks. By providing a number of such control relays, a number of marks can be made by stopping the arcuate motion of the tray 18 in a number of different positions. However, experience has shown that the use of two distinctive marks usually is suiiicient to guide the average typist during the transcription of ordinary recorded material. Moreover, by using two distinctive marks, the number of inter-oliice electrical connections are kept at a minimum, thus permitting simple and economical wiring.

In order to make these two `different marks, the tray 18 is arranged to swing up to two different positions. When it swings up only a short distance, a short straight line is made by the marking member 24, and when it swings up further, a longer straight line is made. The short line is usually used to indicate an error or the presence of instructions in the recorded material; the longer mark is ordinarily used as an end-of-letter or end-of-dictation position indication. The single marking member 24 can be replaced by two such members held on the carriage 26 atslghtly different heights or diiferent angles, for example to produce only one mark when the tray 18 swings to the lower position and to produce a double mark when the tray swings up to the higher position. Alternatively, `different colors can be used. Usually it is preferable to use the single straight short or long mark which is always synchronized with theposition of the recording movesacross the surface of the operation of the automatic marking head (not shown) as it mechanism 11 is as follows: when the winding 34 of the rotary solenoid 30 is energized and the winding 36 of the control relay 32 is not energized, the rotary solenoid 30 is permitted by a motion-lirniting latch 38 (Figures 2 and 4) to rotate the tray 18 holding the indicator slip pad 12 through only a small angle to cause a short correction or instruction mark to be made by the marking member 24 on the top indicator slip. However, if the winding 36 of the control relay 32 is energized prior to the energization of the rotary solenoid 30, the motion-limiting latch 38 is removed from the path of an arm 40 driven by the rotary solenoid 30 to permit greater angular movement of the indicator pad 12 to produce the longer end-ofletter mark on the pad 12.

In order to insure that the control relay 32 is energized prior to the rotary solenoid 30, to make the longer endof-letter mark, a suitable time-delay arrangement is used in the rotary solenoid circuit. This delay is accomplished by a pair of switch contacts 42 and 44 which complete a circuit to the rotary solenoid 30, only after the armature 46 of the control relay has been drawn inwardly, to the right in Figure 2, so as to move the motion-limiting latch 38 down to the dotted-line position shown in Figure 4, away from in front of the arm 40.

rlfhe automatic marking mechanism 11 is supported from a base 50 secured to the frame of the dictating machine. An upwardly extending bracket 52 provides support for the rotary solenoid 30 and for the control relay 32, which is rigidly supported from this bracket 52 by suitable mounting posts, as at 54. The armature 46 of this relay 32 is slidably positioned within the winding 36 and is biased toward the left, as seen in Figure 2, by a compression spring between the end of the armature 46 and the face of the bracket 52.

A plate 56 is carried by the armature and supports an arm 57 to which the contact 42 is secured. When the` winding 36 is energized, the armature 46 is drawn into the winding toward the right as viewed in Figure 2, carrying with it the arm 57 and closing the contacts 42 and 44.

The outer end of the armature 46 is bifurcated as best shown in Figure 3, and is pivotally secured by a pin 58 to the end of a bell crank 59. This bell crank is pivotally supported by a pivot screw 60 that engages an extension 61 from the bracket 52. The other arm of the bell crank S9 forms the motion-limiting latch 38 extending beneath the solenoids 32 and 30 toward the right as seen in Figure 2 for controlling the extent of movement of the rotary solenoid 30 as mentioned above.

The rotary solenoid 30 is housed within a casing and is of conventional construction. When the solenoid 30 is energized, its armature (not shown) is drawn into the winding 34 and carries with it, toward the left as seen in Figure 2, a cam plate 64 (Figure 4). This cam plate 64 is provided with three or more cam runways as indicated at 66, which gradually increase in depth from one end to the other and with small ball bearings 68; which are held in recesses in the end of the casing and are arranged to serve as cam members. Thus, when the cam plate 64 is forced to the left (Figure 2) toward the casing by the energization of the winding 34, the balls 68 cause the cam plate 64 to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4.

The rotary plate 64 carries a pin 70 which extends toward the right from this plate as seen in Figure 2. As best shown in Figure 4, this pin 70 is arranged to strike a crank plate72 as the rotary plate 64 rotates in a clockwise direction. The crank plate 72 is rotatably supported by means of the pivot shaft 22 supported by a bearing 76 in a bracket 78.

A tension spring 80 is connected between the crank plate 72 and a pin 82 which is supported by the bracket 52. This spring 80 biases the crank plate 72 for rotation in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Figure 4, and

4 serves to return the rotary plate 64 in its initial position whenever the solenoid 30 is deenergized.

The tray 18 (see Figures 2 and 5) is provided with a bracket 86 which is pivotally supported at 22 on an end portion of reduced diameter of the pivot shaft 22. The other pivot 20 is in alignment with the shaft 22 and is supported by a suitable bracket arrangement from the base 50.

An L-shaped bracket 90 (Figure 5) is secured to the underside of the tray 18, and is provided with a bifurcated end portion which is tted over a pin 92 carried by the crank plate 72. When the rotary plate 64 is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4, the extension pin 70 strikes the crank plate 72 rotating it about the center of the pivot shaft 22, causing the extension pin 92 to rotate the tray 18 from the position shown in solid lines in Figure 5, toward the position indicated in broken lines.

The marking member 24 is hingedly supported from the sound recording head carriage mechanism 26 and is resiliently biased downwardly toward the top indicator slip on the pad 12. Member 24 carries a marking wheel 93 which rolls along the surface of the indicator pad as the pad moves from the position shown in solid lines of Figure 5 toward the position shown in broken lines, and produces a straight vertical mark on the indicator slip. The horizontal position of this mark along the top slip depends upon the position to which the head driving mechanism (not shown) has moved the head mechanism 26 during recording, and thus the position of this mark is always synchronized with the position of the recording head.

The motion of the tray 18, and therefore the length of the mark is controlled by the arm 40 on the crank plate 72 which strikes the motion-limiting latch member 38, as best shown in Figure 4.

However, when the control relay 32 is energized, moving its armature 46 toward the right as seen in Figure 2, the right-hand end of the bell crank or motion-limiting latch 38 moves downwardly out of the path of the arm 40. Thus, if the relay 32 is energized prior to the energization of the solenoid 30, the movement of the crank plate 72 is not limited and accordingly moves beyond the position of the latch member 38 and makes the longer end-of-letter mark on the top indicator slip.

In order to secure the pad 12 to the tray 18, an upstanding ledge is formed along its bottom edge with a turned-over tab 94. At the left end the pad 12 has a pair of holes to t over two lugs 95 for orienting the pad on the tray. A clamping spring strip 96 is pivoted on a pin 97 near the bottom ledge of the tray and is held in firm pressure against the top of the pad by a hook 98 (Figure 5) fitting over the bracket 86 and hooking under the tray. A thumb tab 99 is welded to the hook 98 so that the clamping strip 96 can be unhooked readily and swung back when a new pad is placed on the tray. The slips are torn of one-by-one against the edge of the clamping strip 96.

The control circuit 16 (See Figure l) for initiating the automatic marking operations of the mechanism 11 includes a Power Supply, generally indicated diagrammatically in block form at 100, which serves to energize the windings of the rotary solenoid 30 and control relay 32. When the dictating machine 10 is utilized in a central dictation system, a pair of switches, generally indicated at 104 and 106, are used, the switch arms 10S and being actuated by the operating members 112 and 114, respectively. Each of these members 112 and 114 may be connected to the movable armatures (not shown) of relay motors (not shown) as is well known, so that the positions of the switch arms 108 and 110 are then remotely-controllable by the circuits which operate these relay motors. For an explanation -of such a remote-controlled central-station dictation system suitable for operating such switches 104 and 106, reference is made to the above-mentioned copending application of Taylor and Jones.

When the ydictating machine is used separately toreceive dictation from only one location, the control circuit 16 may still be operated remotely or, alternatively, the members 112 and 114 may be operated by local push buttons.

When the switch arm 110 of the marking switch 106 is moved into its slower poistion, either due to the actuation of a relay motor (not shown) or due to manual operation, it closes its contacts 115 completing a circuit to the rotary solenoid 30 from the negative supply terminal 116 of the power supply 100, through a lead 118, arm 110 and contacts 115 of the switch 106, a lead 119, the energizing winding 34 of the rotary solenoid 30, a lead 120 and a resistor 122 to the positive terminal 124 of-the power supply 100. A condenser 126 is connected between the lead 118 to the negative terminal 116 of the power supply 100 and the junction of the series dropping resistor 122 and the lead 120.

When this circuit to the rotary .solenoid 30 is completed, the condenser 126 discharges through the rotary solenoid winding 34 producing the desired short mark to `indicate an error, instruction, or the like. When the mark has been made, and the condenser 126 has discharged, the rotary solenoid returns to its original condition because the voltage drop across the series resistor 122 is so large that insulicient current flows -directly from the power supply 100 through the rotary .solenoid to maintain its energization.

When this circuit is interrupted by the opening of the switch contacts 115, the condenser 126 recharges through the resistor 122 and, because no other current is flowing through the resistor, the condenser charges up to the full voltage between the power supply terminals 116 and 124.

The longer end-of-letter mark is made by moving the switch arm 108 into its lower position, completing a circuit from the positive terminal of a condenser 127 through the arm 108 and a contact 128, a lead 130, the control relay 32, and the lead 118 to the other terminal of the condenser 127.

When the control relay 32 is energized, it removes the motion-limiting latch 38 referred t-o above so that the rotary solenoid 30, when actuated during the -time the solenoid 32 is energized, is free to produce the longer or end-of-letter mark. The energization of the control relay 32 by the actuation of the switch 104 euergizes rotary solenoid 30 through the time-delay contacts 42 and 44. This energizing circuit can be traced from the outer end of the resistor 122 (connected to the power supply 100) through the lead 120, the energizing winding 34 yof the rotary solenoid 30, a lead 132, contact points 42 and 44 of the control relay 32, and the lead 118 to the negative terminal 116 yof the power supply 100. The closing of the contacts 42 and 44 produces the same results as when the marking switch 106 is closed, that is, the condenser 126 discharges throughl the rotary solenoid 30, producing in this instance the longer or end-of-letter indication.

It will be noted that both the control relay 32 and the rotary solenoid 30 are energized only momentarily, the control relay 32 being arranged to be energized rst so as to remove the motion-limiting latch 38 prior to the time of energization of the rotary solenoid 30. This `sequence yof operation can be obtained vby incorporating a suitable time delay element in the solenoid circuit, but is more easily and economically accomplished by using the switch contacts 42 and 44 responsive to actuation of the control relay 32 as described above.

When the switch 104 is released, the member 112 which is biased upwardly by a suitable spring (not shown) causes arm 108 to move against a contact 134 so that the condenser 127 is charged to the full output voltage of the'power' supply 100 in' readiness forv further markingoperation.

We claim:

l. In a dictation system, indication marking apparatus comprising a record media, a recording head mechanism arranged to be scanned over said record media, pivoted means for supporting an indicator slip having a pivot axis passing near the top edge of the slip, a marking. member hingedly secured to said head mechanism and biased toward said supporting means, an electricallyoperated rotary drive mechanism arranged to rotate said supporting means about its axis toward said marking member so as to produce a visible mark on the indicator slip, electrically-operated motion-limiting means having a first condition of operation arranged to limit the extent of said relative motion between said supporting means and said marking member and a second condition of` operation in which said relative motion is not so limited, a first manually-operated switch arranged to energize said marking mechanism; and a second manually-operated switch separate from said rst manually-operated switch and arranged to control the energization of said rotary drive mechanism and said motion-limiting means.

2. Indication marking apparatus as claimed in claim l and wherein a third switch means responsive to the actuation of said motion-limiting means controls the energization of said rotary drive mechanism.

3. In a dictating machine, apparatus for producing either of two distinctive indicator marks comprising an indicator pad support, swingable means for mounting said pad support, magnetic means having a movable armature structure arranged to swing said support, and a marking member arranged to make a visible mark on the indicator pad when said support is moved by the magnetic means.

4. In a dctating machine, apparatus for producing visible correction marks comprising a tray for supporting a pad of indicator slips, swingable means for supporting said tray, a marker for producing a visible mark on the indicator slip, means resiliently supporting said marker adjacent said tray, and an electromagnet having a movable armature structure connected to said tray and arranged when the electromagnet is energized to impart a swinging movement to said tray so as to move the indicator slip against the marker to produce the visible correction mark.

5. In a dictation system, indicator apparatus comprising means for supporting an indicator slip, a marking member resiliently mounted adjacent said supporting means, an electrically-operated marking mechanism arranged to move said supporting means arcuately toward said marking member so as to produce a visible mark on the indicator slip, electrically-operated motion-limiting means having a rst condition of operation arranged to limit the extent of said relative motion between said marking member and said supporting means and a second condition of operation in which said relative motion Ais unlimited, an electrical power supply for supplying electrical energy at an insuflicient rate to actuate either said marking mechanism o-r said motion-limiting means, first and second condensers connected to said supply for storing said energy, a first switch means arranged to energize said marking mechanism from said first condenser, and a second switch means separate from said first switch means and arranged to energize said motion-limiting means from said second condenser and to control the energization of said marking mechanism from said rst condenser.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5 and wherein a third switch means arranged to energize said marking mechanism from said rst condenser is responsive to energization of said motion-limiting means.

7. In apparatus of the character described where either one of two different marks is to be made, marker means, indicator pad means, and means to bring said marker and pad means relatively toward each other to make one or the other of two marks, said means including an electrically operated solenoid or motor adapted to move said marker and pad means relatively together, a relay controllable either to limit or not limit the movement of said solenoid, electric supply means for energizing said relay and said solenoid, a first manually operable switch to connect said solenoid to said supply, a second manually operable switch to connect said relay to said supply, and a third switch in parallel with said first switch and controlled by said relay whereby when said first switch is operated, the first of two marks is made by the action of said solenoid, and when said second switch is operated said relay is controlled, said third switch is operated and said solenoid is energized to make the second of said two marks.

8. The combination of elements as in claim 7 wherein said supply means includes a first capacitor connected 8 in series by a current limiting resistor with a voltage source and connectable by said first switch across said solenoid, and includes a second capacitor connectable selectively by said second switch across said voltage source or across said relay whereby a steady actuation of said lirst switch can cause only a single mark to be made and similarly with said second switch, but even momentary operation of either of said switches will cause a well dened mark to be made.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,224,771 Mills Dec. 10, 1940 2,294,963 Clausen Sept. 8, 1942 2,306,614 Clausen Dec. 29, 1942 2,319,032 Bascorn May 11, 1943 2,606,092 Rich Aug. 5, 1952 

